Category: information

A family partnership officer is a person or sometimes a team for the larger schools, which support communications in-between families and schools. They would be the families information centre for everything they would need to know about the school.

Family partnerships officers can support families in some ways from home issues that could affect the student’s education. They would take time to talk to families about these problems and provide help and support when needed. Such as funding, plan meetings, address issues with school matters and put in place relevant interventions.

Family partnership officers also play a significant role in students transitions, supporting families and students when moving on from the school to a new place of work, study or other forms of training. E.g. apprenticeships or internships.

Usually, a teaching assistant (TA) is a trained person who is the qualified person with responsibilities of ensuring students and safe and support them with their learning.

At level 2 you will be a classroom teaching assistant with no additional responsibilities you will oversee the whole class and work with everyone. You may prepared resources for work, make display boards, support in trips and keep the classroom safe and clean.

You will have to respond to the needs of the children with or without SEN, (Speical Educational Needs) Teaching Assistants at Level 2 will work under the guidance of a classroom teacher in ensuring that the lesson runs safely and smoothly. They are an extra pair of hands and eye. They would have a line manager who would be an HLTA. Higher Level Teaching Assistant.

Some teaching assistants even contribute to the development of the teacher’s lesson plans. To give the students support in areas that the TA has I identify. At level 2 this might be providing feedback to the class teacher. At a higher level such as HLTA this might be to make and make a lesson. Read more about HLTA.

After, level 2 TA you might want to become a Level 3 TA or become an HLTA.

I have been asked this question several times now and I find it hard really pinpoint myself. However, I think there is a few things to bear in mind. When talking about Specialist Teaching Assistant and an HLTA.

To start off with its important to understand that the employer have an overall say in what happens within your organisation in regards to Teaching Assistants job role, however, there has to be considerations in regards to workload and subject knowledge and how confident you feel. Advice can be found on the following website about this.

A HLTA is a teaching assistant with supervisor responsibilities over other teaching assistants and may plan and cover lessons as and when required.

They work with teachers and SENCOs to improve and raise standards of learning and wellbeing.

A level 3 TA has not got management tasks or supervisor responsibility for the other TAs they would normally have a subject they are confident in and would support and oversee projects to do with that subject e.g. English TA would attend all core skills meeting and work with the teacher closely. They may deliver planing from the teacher but they would not make lesson plans. However, they are allowed to contribute to lesson plans they may also ask have meetings and information.

A Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) is a role which holds more responsibilities than a Teaching Assistant role as they are required take responsibility of their own class group and more such as planning for planned absences with working within the SEN team, sometimes supervising other teaching assistants. The role of an HLTA was introduced around in 2003, following workforce reform to raise standards and tackle workload in the classrooms as teaching staff were struggling with lack of staff and funding.

HLTA is a great way to promote a positive learning environment as they are able to take ownership of small areas of teaching and learning support strategies helping the whole schools approach.

Have a look at the SETs write up on Effective Use of Teaching Assistants.

In the past school got funding towards training staff to become higher-level assistants or to attend courses. The TDA, the organisation who gives financing, to the local authorities and schools they would have to continue on and pay for training teaching assistants themselves.

How can you become an HLTA?

To become an HLTA you will need the support of your Headteacher and a Level 2 in Maths, English, and sometimes ICT. You would need to have some experience as a teaching assistant, with the ability to lead. After this, you will then need to get funding sometimes the school pay for the course for you. However, you can get self- fund the path as it costs around £450 – £700 You would have to complete a 3-day training course as well as an on-site assessment visit by an assessor. You would have to answer correctly to questions and know the 33 standards Higher Level Teaching Assistant questions.

Undertake recruitment/induction/appraisal/training/mentoring for other teaching assistants

Comply with and assist with the development of policies and procedures relating to child

protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person

Be aware of and support difference and ensure all pupils have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop

Contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the school

Establish constructive relationships and communicate with other agencies/professionals, in liaison with the teacher, to support achievement and progress of pupils

Attend and participate in regular meetings

Participate in training and other learning activities as required

Recognise own strengths and areas of expertise and use these to advise and support others

Be responsible for the provision of out of school learning activities within guidelines established by the school

Contribute to the identification and execution of appropriate out of school learning activities which consolidate and extend work carried out in class

Attend and participate in relevant meetings both during and after the school day as required

To continuously develop your own role, taking responsibility for identifying and addressing training and development needs

To carry out, as and when required, any additional tasks and responsibilities as are

reasonably compatible with this job description and its objectives

You may be asked to teach and plan for SEN learners and withdraw groups that require additional assistance with their learning. To do this, you will need to prepare, deliver and evaluate your work and others

What is the pay?

Depending on your location and the amount of responsibility you have the pay can range from £16,000 to £24,000. Plus more with management, SEN and other factors.

This is depending on your local authorities pay scale.

Tips: You should check with the Local Authority to fully understand the pay scales in your area. You can then cross-check this with your schools pay.

What is the next step?

You can go on to train as a teacher or an assessor. You could go into administration, family partnership, management ( Team Leader) or start teacher training. Such as a PGCE or other teacher training courses.